The public hearing covering the proposed town budget and review of the warrant articles, which will be acted upon at the March 11 Town Meeting, will begin at 7 p.m. Feb. 10 (tomorrow) in the Town Hall.

The budget being proposed by the selectmen is just under 3 percent greater than was last year’s, with no big changes in the line items.

The warrant articles will include the selectmen’s proposal to purchase about 60 acres of the Schreiber property off Cherry Lane. They cite its value in water quality protection and its potential for recreation.

Two petitioned articles will be on the warrant. One refers to getting “Big Money” out of politics, while the second seeks a tax neutral exemption on solar applications to motivate home owners to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels.

While candidates have filed for all but one of the town positions, which will be on the Town Meeting ballot, a Supervisor of the Checklist will need to be elected via write-ins.

The selectmen will be sending the Durham Garden Club a thank-you for a portable projector the club has given the town. The club used the Town Hall for meetings until recently.

In other business transacted on Feb. 3, the selectmen (1) signed a $470 contract with Double Coverage, which company takes care of the irrigation systems at the Town Hall, ballparks and cemetery; (2) agreed to contact PSNH relative to researching energy efficiency programs for the town buildings; (3) signed off on a plan to replace/renew phones at the Public Safety Complex; (4) acknowledged receipt of a petitioned warrant article which will be forwarded to the Supervisors of the Checklist to ascertain the integrity of the signatures.

On Jan. 31 the selectmen met with a representative of the Oyster River Youth Association to discuss the allocation of the expenses of maintaining Tibbetts Field. While the selectmen’s mantra was “no net increase to the town”, they agreed to meet again after the new Tibbetts field has had a season’s use to revisit the allocation.

They also met with Police Chief Joe McGann and with a resident who might be interested in mowing the fields come spring.

It was announced that the Acidotic Snowshoe Race is scheduled for Feb. 15. It takes place at night.

A FUN EVENING

Tickets for the Rebecca Rule/Vernon Cox evening of storytelling and music are available from Kitty Cornwell (866-0465) or by calling 224-8719. These two humorists are well-known in New Hampshire and Maine.

This event is a benefit for Ready Rides, a program within which volunteer drivers take nondrivers to medical appointments. It is currently operating in Northwood, Nottingham, Strafford and Barrington and is expected to begin in Durham, Lee, Madbury and Newmarket in early March. Funds are needed to pay for insurance and background checks.

This Rule/Cox evening meant to battle cabin-fever is Feb. 22, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Northwood Congregational Church on Route 1, next to Coe Brown Academy.

MEETING

The Ready Rides planning group will meet at the Madbury Town Hall at 1 p.m. on Feb. 12. Interested persons are urged to attend.